Rail.



I S. H. MITCHELL.

RAIL. APPLICATION FILED MAR: 23, 1914.

I 1,101,873, Patented June 30,1914,

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SIDNEY H. MITCHELL, or s'r. LOUIS, rirsso'unr.

RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jung 3Q, 1914.

Application filed March 23, 1914. Serial No. 826,622.

To all whom itmag concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY H. MITCHELL, citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rails,

of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in rails; and it consists in the novel construction of rail more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan of a rail embodying my invention, parts he mg broken away; Fig. 2 1s a s1de elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical crosssection on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional detail on the line 44 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 4, showing however a modified construct-ion of rail.

The present invention is specially directed to improvements in street rails, where the bulk of the rail is usually embedded below the surface of the street, and has for its object to provide a rail with a removable tread, so that as the tread becomes worn and useless it may be readily removed and replaced by a new tread without the necessity of removing the lower portion of the rail generally embedded in the ground and below the surface thereof. My improvement therefore has the advantage in that it dispenses with the necessity of digging up the pavement in city streets when occasion arises to repair a rail, the degree to which the pavement will be disturbed in placing a new tread being practically negligible.

A further object is to provide a construction which will permit a quick removal of a worn out tread, and the placing of a new tread; one which is simple, durable, and having eminently lasting qualities, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from a detailed description of the invention, which is as follows:

1 Referring to the drawings, and for the present to Figs. 1 to at inclusive, 1, represents the web, and 2 the flange of a conventional rail, the flange resting on a tie T, as well understood in the art. In the present embodiment of my invention, I provide the rail with a bottom permanent tread-section 3, and an upper removable tread-section 3, the two sections being united by a longitudinal tongue-and-groove connection, the

tongue 25 being preferably formed on the removable section and the groove a in .the permanent'section. The tread-section 3 is disposed wholly on one side of the web, the upper portion of the opposite face of the web being overlapped by the depending or vertical leg 3" of the member 3, the leg 3 being substantially of the same depth as the tongue 6. The parts 3, 1, t, and 3, are secured together by screws it disposed at intervals along the rail, the heads of the screws being preferably countersunk in the leg 3".

. Formed with the web 1 on the side opposite the tread section 3, and disposed in pairs, are angle brackets 4L, 4:, extending substantially the full height of the web, the brackets forming with the face of the web, a T-shaped grooveor pocket for the reception of a corresponding or T-shaped removable rib 5, the bottom of which rests on, and is made to conform to, the flange 2 of the rail. The surface of the upper end of the rib 5 is substantially horizontal, the ribs collectively serving to support the removable flange 6 of the rail-tread, said treadflange being in part supported by the upper ends of the brackets l, (Fig. 3), and being shouldered to, or slightly overlapped by, the tread-section 3, for which purpose the'exposed face of the leg 3 is slightly offset from the corresponding face of said tread-section, as fully illustrated in Fig. 3. When the tread-flange 6 is properly placed, it is secured to the ribs 5 by means of screws h preferably countersunk as shown in Fig. 3, the depression being subsequently filled with a Babbitt metal plug or equivalent filler 7, made flush with the surface of the member 6 so as to produce a smooth finish for said member. In laying rails in city streets they are usually embedded in concrete or cement C, as shown. As shown in Figs ,1 and 2, the rails are so laid that no two joints between the meeting ends .of corresponding members are in line- That is to say, the joints between the members 3, 3, break with the joints between the rails proper; and the joints between the tread flanges 6 break with the first mentioned joints. In this way the track is rendered strong and durable. It will be seen from the foregoing, that should it be desired or necessary to take up a section of the treadflange 6, this may be done readily by first removing the comparatively soft fillers 7 then removing the screws h, and the member 6 may then be lifted without disturbing any other portion of the rail. Should it become necessary to repair a tread 3, the

member 6 is first removed as described,

thereby exposing the screws h, when by taking out the screws, the section 3 may be readily pried off the member 3. Since it is usually the portions 3' and 6 that are subject to abuse and wear, and need frequent repairin (the web and flange of the rail being as a rule protected), it is apparent that under my invention, these removable portions may at any time be taken up and relaid without disturbing the concrete C or adjoining pavement, and Without the necessity of tearing up thestreet for the purpose of taking up the entire rail. As quite obvious from the drawing, the member 6 when worn on one side may be turned over and the other side used as the flange surface.

In lieu of a detachable rib such as 5, I may substitute therefor a permanent rib 5 W, represents a portion of the tread of the Wheel, and w the flange thereof as well understood in the art.

Having described my invention what claim is 1. A rail having a web member termi-j nating in a permanent bottom tread-section formed integrally therewith and disposed on one side of the web, and provided with an upper longitudinal groove, upper removable treadsection provided with a tongue engaging said groove, and having a depending formation engaging the upper portlon of the face of the web opposite the permanent tread section.

2. A. rail having a web member termihating in a permanent bottom tread-section1 disposed on one side of the web, and pro vided with an upper longitudinal groove, 22.

top removable tread-section provided with a tongue engaging said groove, and having a depending formation engaging the upper portion of the face of the web opposite the permanent tread section, and securing devices passed through said depending forma- 1 tion, web, tongue, and permanent tread section, respectively.

3. A rail having a web member terminating in a permanent bottom tread-section disposed on one side of the Web, an upper removable tread-section supported thereby, a tread-flange member disposed adjacent the removable section, and means on the web for supporting said flange member.

a. A rail having a web member terminating in a permanent bottom tread-section, a removable top tread-section secured thereto and provided with a formation overlapping the upper portion of one of the faces of the web, a tread-flange member engaging said overlapping formation, and means carried by the web for securing the tread-flange thereto.

5. A rail having a web member termi= nating in a permanent bottom tread-section, a removable upper tread-section secured thereto and provided with a formation on one side overlapping; the upper portion of the adjacent face of the Web, the exposed face of said formation being off-set from the adjacent face of its tread-section, a tread flange positioned to engage the offset face of the formation aforesaid whereby a portion of the upper face of said tread-flange is overlapped by the removable tread-section to the depth of the off-set, ribs formed on the web on the side with the overlapping formation, for supporting the tread-flange, and means for securing the tread-fiange to the ribs.

6. In a rail of the character described provided with a web and bottom flange, anglebrackets disposed in pairs and having corresponding legs facing one another and spaced apart, thereby forming a T-shap'ed' groove with the web, a T-rib in'sertible into said groove, the bottom of the rib resting on the rail flange, for the purpose set forth.

7 AL rail having a web, an upper remov able tread-flange, and transverse ribs on the web extended outwardly from the web a sufficient distance to serve as supports for the tread-flange aforesaid.

S. A rail having a bottom permanent tread-section, an upper removable treadsection, and a cooperating removable treadflange engaging the removable tread-section.

9'. A rail having a bottom permanent tread-section, an upper removable treadsection, and a cooperating removable treadflange shouldered to the removable treach section. v j 10. A rail having a web, a removable tread-section, and formations on the face of the web for engaging a portion of said tread-section and in a measure supporting the same.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

sinner n; Mironnilii.

lVitnesses:

EMI'L Sronnt, Jos. A. MICHEL.

Copies of this patent ma be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the chimeras-er of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

